That was to get his own piece of the world and make something of himself. Now, at twenty-six, he was beginning to wonder if that day would ever come. Even though the night air bore an unmistakable chill from the high-country snows, Jim felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. He’d taken the wrong woman! To Zandy, he could have explained that it wasn’t kidnapping. He’d meant no harm and had only the best of intentions, but how could he tell this to the angry young woman who sat at his fire? There was no answer in the wind as it blew across his face. There was no reasoning the matter away. When he’d first given thought to the plan of taking Zandy, he’d stopped thinking once he got past the taking part. He’d not even given himself a reasonable plan of action for how they might disentangle themselves from Riley Dawson’s wrath once he realized his wife was gone. Grimacing, Jim kicked at a fallen pine log.
